Crossed Timelines
by DracoimreH
Summary: The war is over, and Hermione is helping restore Hogwarts for the upcoming semester. Well, she was, until she finds herself in an alternate dimension where things are just different enough to cause a slight panic attack. Why is Draco's hair brown? Why is Ron giving him a high five like they're friends? and WHY is Neville ripped like a greek god? Eventual HG/RL.
1. Chapter 1

"Oh, Neville, no. Headmistress McGonagall said those paintings go along the corridor on the 5th floor, not here."

"Oh, right, Hermione. Thanks, I'll fix it."

Hermione sighed with mild frustration. The war was over. Voldemort had been defeated months before, and now they were working to restore the castle back to its original condition before the new term started. It still felt like a dream to Hermione. She woke up most nights jerked awake by sudden theories on how to finish the Horcrux hunt for good. Being hunted herself was a hard feeling to shake, it turns out.

She shook herself out of her reverie and looked around. Working around the clock for months had paid off, and really all that was left were cosmetic things -paintings, statues and tapestries. She and Neville had been tasked to the corridors in Gryffindor Tower, and thankfully, they were on the last one. She loved Neville, truly, but holding his hand and guiding him on every task was becoming unbearable. She grabbed the last statue, a small pixie carrying a globe. _How odd_ , thought Hermione. _I've never seen this one before._ She walked along the corridor, searching for a place to put it. She found an empty pedestal and decided this place was as good as any. Job finished, she dusted her hands off and turned to see where Neville had gone off to.

"Neville?" She didn't see him anywhere. "Neville? Did you find another trick step again?"

 _Honestly, this castle has so many secrets_. She thought, _how people don't just up and disappear daily into the ether is beyond me._

She turned the corner, heading towards the stairs when she suddenly bumped into someone, who reached out to steady her before she fell.

"Nev- oh! I'm sorry!"

They both had rounded the corner so quickly that her hand had been caught between her body and her new companion's. She definitely felt that he was male, and her neck and face had begun to flush red.

"OH my god, oh god. I'm so sor- Draco?"

"I'm sorry, do I know you?"

She huffed a laugh at him. Draco had been working with everyone to restore the castle, after he had been found not guilty during the trials at the Wizengamot. It had taken a couple weeks, but eventually he had let his guard down, and those around him did the same. They had actually started to consider him as one of the group, even Harry, to everyone's surprise.

"What, dye your hair brown and suddenly you want to play the stranger game? You know, you get more and more odd the more I get to know you, Draco."

He looked at her with one quizzical brow raised.

"I'm sorry, but I truly don't know what you're talking about. You were right, I am Draco, but I'm afraid I don't know your name. Have we met?"

"Alright, alright, is this like a 'New Hair, New You" kind of thing? I'll play along. It actually looks quite fetching. Have you shown the others? I'm dying to know Harry's reaction."

Draco was well known for many things, but most notably had been his white-blonde hair. She had seen the frequent articles in the paper, almost daily stories filled with whatever mundane activities he had been up to. She didn't blame him one bit for wanting to disguise his hair to lay low for a while.

He was still staring at her with a confused expression. "I think maybe you ha-"

"Oi! Drake! We're almost late, what are you waiting for?"

Ron came quickly around the corner, seemingly not even noticing Hermione. He was looking at Draco with an impatient expression, eager to see what the hold up was.

 _'Drake'. That's new. Definitely taking note of that to make fun of Ron for later._

Before Draco, or Drake, could answer, Hermione reached out to nudge Ron lightly on the shoulder.

"Ron! You finished up by the Hufflepuff rooms quickly! Ugh, I'm so jealous. Did you come up to help Neville and I out?"

Ron turned and noticed her for the first time. "Wha—oh. Oh, I see. New bird? Alright. Just.. I thought you said we were going flying?" He looked back at Drake with a slightly amused expression.

Drake held up his hands in a baffled gesture. "We are. I was coming up here to get my broom and I ran into her. Literally. She copped a feel and everything. "

Hermione squawked indignantly. "Wh- HEY! No, that was an accident and you know it. I most certainly did not "cop a feel". At least not on purpose, and there wasn't even much to feel anyways."

Ron barked a laugh at Drake's expense, and gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. "Tough luck, mate."

Draco shrugged Ron's hand off his shoulder and cleared his throat, ready to set the record straight when Hermione interrupted.

"Ooooh kay, well, this has been fun. I love that you two are working together to do this weird 'Stranger Game' bit, but honestly today has been pure torture and I just want to get these tapestries hung up so I can be done. Now, did either of you see Neville on your way up?"

Ron was first to answer. "Uh, Nev? Yeah, he said he was coming up to get his broom too so we could go fly for a bit before .. ah, see? There he is now."

The portrait behind Hermione had opened, and sure enough Neville stepped out with a broom slung over his shoulder. Only, that wasn't Neville. He had a face that was similar to Neville but his body was someone else's entirely. Hermione scanned him, head to toe, and was pretty sure she felt her jaw drop in disbelief. He was built like a muggle basketball player, his lithe arm muscles easily seen under his muggle t-shirt. At least 6 feet tall, he was eating an apple (because of course he was) with his other hand, and she could see his leg muscles flexing under his slightly too tight jeans. He seemed to be moving in slow motion like the main love interest in one of her terrible (but favorite) muggle movies and Hermione was thankful for it because she needed the extra seconds to soak it all in.

 _Holy Circe on a stick._

"Nev!" Ron happily greeted his friend with a high five, as though nothing was amiss. Hermione watched as Drake, Ron and Nev grouped together, excitedly talking about something that Hermione honestly couldn't focus on.

 _What is happening right now? WHO is that and .. what is happening right now?!"_

Slightly in a daze, and definitely feeling a panic attack coming on, Hermione reached out to the nearest sleeve and gave a small tug. It turned out to be Drake's arm and he turned to her and raised a brow in question.

"I um.. I think I need to go see the Headmistress." _  
_  
\- - - - - - - - - - -

Drake, Ron, and Nev guided Hermione through the castle towards McGonagall's office. She was trying to focus only on the pairs of feet in front of her, hesitant to look around and catch more changes. Try as she might, she still caught the occasional painting that _should've_ been up by the prefect's bathroom, but instead was near the library. She tried to blame the changes on the fact that the castle is currently being restored, it would be only natural to find paintings in weird places, right? Still, a feeling in her gut said that something awful had happened. They walked up to the circular staircase with giant Hippogriff statues in front of it.

"Supposed to be gargoyles." Hermione muttered to herself.

"Sorry?" Drake asked.

"It's supposed to be Gargoyle statues here. Not Hippogriffs. Gargoyles." She said in a loud, slightly aggressive tone.

Drake looked over to Nev, who just shrugged, and Ron who mouthed ' _She's_ _barmy, mate'._

They rode the stairs in silence, and when Hermione entered McGonagall's office, she froze. In front of her was a beautiful older woman with long gray hair in a braid, purple robes and blue twinkling eyes.

"Hello dear, how can I be of help to you?"

Hermione sighed and answered in a defeated tone. "You're not McGonagall. We were looking for the Headmistress."

The woman looked at Hermione with a twinkle in her eye, and she smiled at Hermione with kindness and patience.

"Well you've certainly come to the right place. " The woman said. "You've found me, although my name isn't McGonagall. It's Dumbledore. I'm Ariana Dumbledore, Headmistress of Hogwarts."


	2. Chapter 2

Drake, Nev and Ron left Hermione in the Headmistress' office after watching her mumble to herself, mostly about a man named Albus. Without any end to her verbal loop in sight, they felt she was in far more qualified hands than their own with the Headmistress. Ariana Dumbledore was well known as one of the greatest witches in this century, after all.

In the office, Hermione was trying to make sense of everything she had learned. She stared in disbelief at the Headmistress, her body slouched in a wingback chair opposite Ariana's desk. So far, it seemed that she was stuck in some alternate dimension where everything was _wrong._ So very wrong. She relayed her thoughts to the Headmistress, and after a moment of quiet contemplation, Ariana finally spoke.

"Well, Miss Granger, I'm afraid I'm going to have to agree with you. You say that my brother, Albus, is the Headmaster of Hogwarts, but in this world, in our _current_ reality, sadly Albus died many years ago. Are you familiar with a wizard named Grindlewald?"

Hermione nodded her head in affirmation.

"Yes, well, many years ago, my brother and Grindlewald devised a plan to make muggles more subservient to wizards and witches, who were, in their eyes, the more superior beings." She sighed and looked down at her hands. "Albus was a kind soul. He truly believed in doing everything in his power for the greater good. But, He was seduced by the dark arts, and by Grindlewald himself. Unfortunately in the end, it was the reason for his death. They were confronted by my other brother, Aberforth, who killed them both in a duel." At this, Ariana looked up and made eye contact with Hermione. There was no longer any twinkle in her eyes, instead it was replaced by gradually building tears. She pulled a handkerchief from her pocket beneath the desk. "I'm sorry. Excuse me, it was 100 years ago, but I still miss him greatly." Hermione smiled sympathetically at her, and glanced out the window to give Ariana a moment to compose herself.

Ariana gave her eyes a final swipe and drew her shoulders back, as if to shake off the unpleasant memories. "Ah, yes. Well, while I loved Albus dearly, he has little to due with our current situation. We need to look to the future, do we not?" She gave Hermione a weary smile, some of the twinkle finding it's way back into her gaze.

"Yes, let's."

\- - - - - - - - - - -

The headmistress decided that Hermione should stay within Hogwarts for the time being.

 _"I have a friend, shall we say, who enjoys researching extensively with time and space in the magical realm. I would like to discuss your situation with him, if you don't mind."_

The fact that her _friend_ was likely an unspeakable within the Department of Mysteries went without saying. Apparently Dumbledores in any timeline are prone to making connections with people in high places. After showing Hermione to a new set of rooms the castle made for her near the library, Hermione set out to the Great Hall to find Drake, Ron and Nev again. Ariana suggested she learn more about her current timeline and Hermione was inclined to agree. If she figured out the differences in _this_ world, it might point her in the right direction to find her way back to her own.

Walking through Hogwarts was surreal. It all looked the same, except tiny differences that seemed insignificant. As she made her way to the Great Hall, she felt a ball of anxiety rest heavily in her stomach. _Harry. Ron._ Her chest ached with the grief of missing her friends. Sure, they might be in this timeline but they would likely not be _her_ Harry, _her_ Ron. _Oh God, Ron._ They had just begun to explore their new relationship. It was hardly a step above their normal friendship, with them both being distracted by working so hard on restoring the castle. But it had potential, and Hermione was really enjoying where it was headed. But now, she was lost in another dimension. _Where do they think I've gone?_ She stopped walking and placed her hands on the nearest castle wall. She closed her eyes, took deep breaths and willed the nausea that had risen in her stomach away. _Ariana said she would talk to her friend. It's not a lost cause. I might even find a way back home._ She allowed herself a few more moments in her pity party, then took a deep breath and reminded herself of the facts. Ariana was one of the greatest witches in the century here, and she was helping Hermione. She would figure it out, and then Hermione would be out of here. Until then, it would be fortuitous to make the best of the situation, right? Right.

She regrouped herself just in time to make it to the Great Hall doors. As she opened them, she looked around for the boys. Luckily, the Great Hall appeared to be more-or-less the same as the one back home. _Home._ She felt a twinge in her chest, but pushed it down as she glanced around the Hall. She spotted them at the Gryffindor table, which was on the far left instead of the right. She gave a rather sheepish wave as she walked over, suddenly unsure of her welcome. Ron notices her first and elbows Drake while nodding his chin in Hermione's direction.

"Err… Hi." _Nice. Smooth, very eloquent, Hermione._ She winces at her own lack of finesse.

"Hey. Did you get it all figured out?" Drake answers first, although he seems to mostly out of politeness rather than genuine interest.

"Umm.. no. Well, kind of. Do you guys have a moment to talk? Alone?" She glances at the other students at the table, who have halted their own conversations to stare at the new girl. She notices a lot of familiar–but-not faces, and quickly moves her gaze back towards Drake.

"Um, yeah. Sure." Drake begins to stand, moving to follow her back outside the Great Hall doors. Hermione notices Ron and Nev having a quick, hushed discussion. Ron is openly reticent, but Nev seems to convince him to hear her out because soon all three are following her out of the Great Hall.

As the doors close behind them, the boys gather around her. She tries to figure out the best way to explain what's going on for a couple minutes before finally deciding to just go with the truth.

"I'm from another timeline."

"You're.. what?"

"I'm sorry, say again?"

"Like fuckin hell!"

Nev, Drake and Ron all talk over each other, rightfully confused. Hermione sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose. Something tells her a massive headache is coming her way.

\- - - - - - - - - - -

After filling them in on the events that had happened since they last saw her in the Headmistress' office, Ron seemed the most uncertain.

"Prove it." He crosses his arms across his chest and raises his chin, already in defiance against whatever she decides to say to him.

"What? No, she doesn't need to _prove_ herself, Mate." Neville says in Hermione's defense.

"No, no. This is good. It's a brilliant idea. Obviously everything I say won't be true, since our timelines are slightly different. But it's bound to be enough to show you that I'm not making this up. " She looks in Ron's eyes, as painful as it is. After a weighted sigh, she starts sprouting off facts about him and his family.

"Ok, let's see. Um.. well. First, you're part of a big family. One of seven, actually. There's Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred & George, then you, and then Ginny. Um.. you live in a place called the Burrow. It's a giant, mismatched, beautiful home that I've stayed at frequently. It um.. it's actually where I was living, before I came here. I was staying there, um, with uh.. with you."  
She breaks eye contact at this point, deciding to look at the floor instead while a light blush creeps up her neck. If Ron notices her reaction, he doesn't mention it.

"Ok, that's mostly right. I only have 5 siblings, and it's a mixture of brothers and sisters." His stance softens a bit, and he uncrosses his arms. "Can you.. do you mind continuing?"

"Oh, sure. Um.. let's see. You love the Chudley Cannons, even though they're absolute trash in my timeline. "

"Wh- trash? _Trash?!_ I'll have you know that they are undefeated so far this season. AND, actually, they were first in the League last year. And, well, ok the year before that they were third but that's hardly _trash._ Honestly, how could you even say such a thing?"

Hermione smiled at him, despite the fact that he was turning red and huffy. It's nice to see that _this_ Ron was just as passionate about Quidditch as _her_ Ron.

"You said you have only 5 siblings? What are their names?"

Ron was still mumbling about Quidditch, listing off stats from various players that Hermione couldn't verify as the same ones from her timeline. Quidditch was barbaric, honestly the fact that students could play it in school was just insane.

Drake answered since Ron was still side tracked. "You got Bill right. Then there's Chelsea, the twins, Fred & Gwen. Then Ron, and his younger sister, Ginny. And they do live in the Burrow. " He said the last bit with a soft smile on his face.

"And you two, three really, you're all friends?"

At this Ron was finally brought out of his tangent. "Best mates!" He slung his arm around Nev and Drake's necks, which they didn't seem to appreciate considering he was slightly shorter than them both.

"You said I dyed my hair earlier, so what color is it where you're from?" At this point, all three boys seemed to silently agree that they believed her. Gone were the looks of apprehension and disinterest. Instead they looked eager to hear all about their alternate selves.

"Blonde. So blonde it's almost white, actually."

Drake crinkled his nose in distaste. "That doesn't even seem like it would look good."

"Oh, it did." Hermione muttered, without thinking. Unfortunately for her, Nev heard it.

"Oh, it did, did it? So were you and him an item where you're from?" Hermione and Drake both avoided eye contact at the suggestion. Hermione cleared her throat to avoid an awkward silence.

"Umm, no. No, actually. I was starting to get closer to, um.. to Ron." Hermione couldn't bear to look at this Ron at that point, but she did see his feet shuffle in discomfort a bit. Before he could form a response, the Great Hall doors opened and students started to pour out back to the dormitories.

"Do you want to go back to the Gryffindor Common Room with us? Wait, were you a Gryffindor back in your time?" Drake asked Hermione before the mass of students reached them. At her nod, he started to lead their little group towards the stairs. "Brilliant. Most of our friends are there and I think it would be fun to introduce you to everyone. Maybe they'll be familiar to you?"

Hermione shrugged as she followed the boys up the stairs, grateful for the change of subject. She was anxious and excited to meet everyone. Despite the fact that it was all slightly _off_ from her home, it was rather fun to see the differences and similarities in her friends so far. She would have to make sure and find a pensieve back home so she could show everyone what their dimension-twins were like. The look on Draco's face when he found out _Drake_ was a Gryffindor would be priceless.


End file.
